Golden Thread

Their Determination

The rules of the Hunting Contest was simple. Each type of prey brings a certain amount of points and whoever has the most points will be crowned King of the Hunt. The hunting grounds were delimited by blue ribbons tied around tree trunks and the duration of the contest was of 6 hours and started mid-morning. 

At the beginning of the hunt, a ceremony wishing luck to the contestants was held by the Emperor himself. All the men kowtowed in front of him, awaiting his speech. 

The emperor basked in the veneration of his subjects and smiled contently, looking down on them. "As each year, summer brings about the long-awaited Hunting Contest. This year, however, a special gift shall be given to the winner, in addition to the glory of being King of the Hunt. I personally shall grant the winner a wish that is within my power." He paused, letting the meaning of his words sink in. The noble families sitting at the sidelines whispered among them, surprised by the Emperor's sudden announcement. "I wish all the young men gathered here today tremendous luck and a happy hunt. I now announce, the Hunting Contest starts now !"

"Long live the emperor !" Loud drums started echoing behind the tents and every men bowed before walking to their horses, jumping onto their back with practiced agility. 

Ming Lei and Ming Xi followed suit, grabbing onto the reins of their horses and disappearing into the forest. 

Leah peeked through the princess' tent's flaps, just in time to catch the prince's back flashing through the trees. She squeezed her hands in worry and went back to attending to the princess. 

In truth, she wasn't at all what Leah was expecting of an ancient Asian princess. She was smaller than her, barely reaching her nose, and she kept her face covered at all times, even when taking a nap, as she had caught her doing so a few times. The princess displayed the intelligence of a 10 year-old child and seemed to have never been outside of her life, gazing at everything around her with the renewed curiosity of a newborn. She wasn't particularly picky either, finishing all her food without a complaint. Leah actually enjoyed serving the woman. It was much nicer compared to her devilish boss back home. 

As the princess was taking a nap, Leah sat down under the shade of a tree near the tent and took out a book from her robes. 

When she was granted her new identity, Leah wasted no time and quickly found a way to sneak into the Imperial Library. She wanted to find any information that could help her get back to her own world. But as she started to get used to her temporary life, she started to doubt. 

She loved Ming Lei, that was for sure. But she also missed her world and her old life. She missed drinking coffee in her couch, reading fashion magazines, spending all day in her workshop. She missed her work and, even if she didn't want to admit it, she also missed her boss who only knew how to boss her around. Fighting through her life, she had finally found a place for her. And she wasn't sure if she was ready to say goodbye to all her efforts. 

She had to choose.

But, it would be a choice made after she was sure that Ming Lei's life wasn't in danger anymore. She wouldn't be able to leave, if she chooses to, while knowing that he might die. She knew, through all the sci-fi movies she had seen, that changing history always created ripples through time, but she felt that her heart wouldn't be able to take a second hit. If she was to change history for ever, then be it. 

She wasn't going to let her loved one die. 

Not over her dead body.